Part II: Discovery

Author's note
Sorry for the delay, guys. Hopefully it will be quicker next time.

      Skyril was falling through the black. Tumbling and plummeting down. Or maybe she was floating. She couldn't tell, but it seemed she was going downwards at some particular rate in the blackness. She still couldn't speak. She would open her mouth and close it again, screaming off and on silently. She couldn't breathe, and life was fading from her, melting away like an ice cube over fire.

How much longer would she last? A minute? She didn't know, but then again, she really couldn't possibly tell how much time passed in this black world. It seemed to Skyril that she had been falling for an eternity, but on the other hand, it was only moments since she took her last breath.

Her last breath. Would that be the truth? Would she never breath again? She screamed mutely again, wondering how she felt about death. She wished she could see her friends again... Kallista, so fun and such a wonderful sister, Israel, humorous and kind, Bridget, the vampire on the good side, Thalia, Lego, Mar, Lydia, Phoenix, Rose, Raven... oh, she couldn't list them all... so many... so many... and... Gepard, her lovely Gepard.... Even if he hadn't spoken to her for days... she would miss him. Her green eyes closed, her mouth not having enough strength to scream again. Goodbye, my  love...

But then, the falling stopped, just stopped. She was frozen on the edge of death, but no longer drifting downwards. Her hair was splayed around her face, still, in the air and not limp. She was like that for a some time, but none could say how long. She was fixed in place in the midst of oblivion. Then Skyril gasped, sucking in a great breath of air, coughing, and breathing more, breathing sweet air. Breathing. She coughed a few times more and would kill for something to drink but was slowly feeling better.

Her boot shod feet touched ground, her eyes opening slowly with each ragged breath. The ground was paved with stones. It was a road. She looked up, hoping. There were people all around, everywhere, but something was wrong with them. She was standing in the middle of a giant crowd of people whose movements were suspended. Most of them were in the middle of taking a step, but some others were lifting a hand to wave to someone or else taking a bite of ham and cheese at a deli. Not only that, but the sky was shades of green with a great emerald sun giving off light. Skyril was fairly certain that the sun was yellow in her world.

She gazed at the closest person to her, not a foot away. She was a young girl, about seven years old with auburn hair, green eyes, and freckles. Tentatively, Skyril touched her cheek. The girl blinked, looking up at Skyril. Then everyone turned and looked at her. No one said a word. It was completely silent. Skyril looked at them all. Their eyes were vacant, dead, but at the same time, they were gazing definitively at her.

"Um, hullo.." she said, her voice a bit hoarse. They didn't reply, but only watched her. She stepped one way, then the other. Their eyes continued to follow her. Swallowing stiffly, she knelt down in front of the girl whom she had touched. Quietly and a bit nervously, Skyril said, "Hey, there, what's you're name?" The child blinked at her.

"I have no name."

Skyril tilted her head, replying gently, "Oh, but you must have a name! What do your parents call you?"

"I have no parents. I have no family. I killed them all a long time ago in their sleep." The child turned her head this time, looking at everyone in the crowd. "I only have ourselves." She looked back at Skyril, who was standing up again, hands on her belt where daggers hid beneath her coat. The child spoke again, "I have no name, for they that see me either go insane, die, or stay with me. The question is...," she paused, an eery grin curling her lips, "Will you be lucky and live in insanity? Or perhaps it would be more merciful to have death, for you don't want to stay with me."

"I've heard of you," Skyril butted in grimly before Freckles could continue. "I was afraid you would be whom I thought you were. The legends... there are a lot of gruesome tales- Common or magical, people of all ages walking on some silent road, disappearing and reappearing either within seconds or years. Some have aged, some look the same, but all..." Skyril paused, "All are insane. The others who don't make it are found far away, their bodies torn, barely recognizable as humans, while the rest... don't come back at all."

The child inclined her neck to one side, the rest of the crowd simultaneously repeating the action, listening as Skyril spoke.

"There are myths, that speak of your world," she continued. "It is said that the reason everyone has bad dreams is because of the ripple effect after you have your fun with someone. Your power is so strong it can't be contained within one being's mind. It spreads across the earth to everyone and lasts forever. The worst part is, you've been here from the beginning, and won't ever die so long as you have a body to inhabit, will you? 

The strange thing is, one of these occurrences hasn't happened for so very long. No one has disappeared and reappeared insane or mangled by your hands. You were bound, weren't you? I heard that story too. You were bound in a beautiful piece of jewelry. One of silver and purple amethysts.
I chose to dismiss Mrs. O'Leary's bracelet believing all this was a fable. I trusted nightmares were just ghosts from the past and the imagination lurking around to frighten, but now Ominous has this bracelet. He's let you loose, the fool. Loose on me. You're his backup plan. He's very clever, but he won't get away with it, he mustn't. Oh, by the way," Skyril blinked as if an idea had just occurred to her, "You do have a name. It's been there forever, for you are so very old." The child spoke commandingly, but her voice wasn't just the voice of a little girl, but the voice of all, "Tell me, what is my name?"

"Your name," said she, "is Nightmare."

Part I: Arresting Time

   Author's note

Hey, guys, so I know I haven't posted forever...., and this is a new story.. sorry about that :P, But I hope you like it! I intend to actually finish this one :P Hopefully that will work out properly. :] I'm going to try anyway! ~thumbs up~

  Ominous Ebony was a black man, exceptionally slender and fashionable. He wore a white shirt with puffy sleeves like a pirate's, black pants, boots, and a dark vest. At his throat spilled a lacy white cravat, and on his head was an ebony and ivory checkered fedora.

If there was nothing else to admire, Skyril could at least enjoy his sense of style. "Nice hat," she muttered, right before punching him. He stumbled back, flinching, "Oi, why did you hit me? I thought we were here to reach an... arrangement on a few items you want... confiscated." His voice was like dark chocolate, silky but bitter, and touched with the flavor of African descent. "Well..." Skyril paused, tilting her head a little, "I'm afraid I lied. I'm with the sanctuary and our meeting has been canceled do to... a lot of things, as a matter of fact, but let's just call it your unpuritanical deeds and leave it at that."

"Ooh," a mischievous grin spread across his lips, "you're referring to that small payment I got from Mrs. O'Leary, aren't you?

"Actually, yes, that's a good example." Skyril rolled her eyes, and Ominous laughed, "Why, that was irrisistible, and you would have done the same thing, darling. Truly, it is..." his grin got bigger, "I mean was a beautiful thing of deepest violet amethysts studded in a pure silver bracelet." He sighed as if remembering a day with a lover. "Besides," he continued, "I just saved the life of the owner so the bracelet was but a small payment for life, don't you agree? Truly, I believe I got less than what I deserved." He smirked.

"Ok," Skyril shook her head irritably, not in the mood for a smirking moron. She glanced to the side down the barren road, then back at him "First off, don't ever call me darling again. There's only one man who can call me that, and he's not you. Secondly, I would not have stolen from ancient Mrs. O'leary, bless her soul, and lastly, no, you have not yet gotten what you deserve. But you will." With that, Skyril blinked, and Ominous's eyes turned pure white with blindness.

"Hey!" he yelled angrily, fumbling with his face, trying to figure out why everything had gone black, then cursed, realizing what Skyril had done.

"Ominous Ebony," Skyril pulled out a pair of cuffs, "You're under arrest for the robbery of Mrs. O'Leary -thanks for bringing that one up, by the way, I may have forgotten otherwise-, attempted murder of John Gregory, robbery of Helena Pompous, and... what else? Breaking and entering perhaps?" Skyril shrugged, "Why not?" She pulled an arm behind his back to cuff him, but before she could, he said, "You know, they don't call me 'Ominous' for nothing." His grin was back.

"Yup, I wouldn't suspect so. Actually, I know why they do because, seeing as I'm here to arrest you for the Sanctuary, I've read your file. Is that surprising to you? Seems like it would be kind of obvious..." She shrugged again, peering at him.

Ominous's grin had turned from mischievous and clever to monstrous. His mouth was huge, and his teeth were jagged like broken glass. He was looming over Skyril, taller than he was before, and black, ragged bat's wings had sprouted from his back. His fingernails curved, sharp, and yellow while his blind eyes had sunk in to reveal black holes instead. His voice was raspy, and a slithering snake's tongue appeared when he whispered, "I'm getting... hungryyyy..."

Skyril looked frightened for a second then laughed as Ominous's grin grew wider. The she said degradingly, "Seriously? That's the best you can do? I have to admit, I was hoping for more... and no, by the way, your illusions won't work on me." The cuff clicked into place on his wrist, instantly returning Ominous to his previous appearance.

Skyril shoved him in the direction of her car on the desolate Dublin road, littered with trash and debris. This was one of those hotspots for the magical communities- a no no for the mortals. Still, it seemed awfully quiet for this time of day-between the light and dark-twilight. 

"Curious," Ominous muttered, "It seems to escape me how you knew my magic involves illusion and no actually physical change. I thought for certain I had switched the old files out for my -slightly changed- variation."

"Oh, you did, but see I have contacts who... well, who also have contacts, and the contacts informed the contacts who informed me that the Sanctuary files were inaccurate. At which point, I located the proper files. It wasn't all that hard, honestly."

"Ahh... contacts who have contacts.. nice idea... there's one small problem, though..." Skyril gave him another shove to get him walking towards her car again. "What's that, Ominous?"

His only reply was a quiet pause before, "Hm, sure is awfully quiet..."

Skyril blinked and stopped walking, staring at Ominous whose grin was there again. "You don't mean... no... it couldn't possibly... you're making this up, right? That's all just a myth... No one has actually been able to summon it..." She glanced back and forth. "It... it's not that quiet..." she shook her head, "You're just trying to unsteady me, and I'm being ridiculous. We've got to go. Come on, we're getting in the car." Skyril grabbed his arm with alarming strength, practically dragging him after her brisk pace. 

"Oh, I don't think we are, agent Skyril." Then he started laughing.

She took another two steps, then everything went black and silent, almost everything, anyway. She could look down and see herself, but all around was blackness. The sky was black, the ground was black, everything... black. Not only that, but Ominous was no where in sight. He had still been laughing then he was silenced like someone pressed mute.

Skyril looked back and forth and spun around. There was nothing, absolutely nothing but her and blackness. She called out, "Hello!" but no matter how loud she yelled, it seemed her voice was small, like a whisper or groan consumed by the black. The more she yelled, the quieter her voice. She started panicking, terrified that she'd never see anything but darkness. She touched the ground to see if it felt real, but it didn't. It felt mushy and dark.

She started running, running and running, no sense of time or direction. Nothing, no sound at all. not even the sound of her footsteps. She tried to speak again, but couldn't. There was nothing but her. Nothing at all.

Not even air.